FIG. 1 shows a generic description of a broadband network for providing telephone, internet and TV/video services to subscribers in a number of locations. A series of service providers provide the various services (SP1, SP2, SP3) to the network 10 via conventional access points 12. The network 10 provides connects these to subscribers via routers 14 located close to the subscribers. These can include business locations that can include routers in commercial property 16, and domestic subscribers with routers located in a central office 18 for a neighbourhood of separate dwellings (houses 17), or in a single building 19 such as an apartment building. The network operator manage the network function by the use of a control and provisioning system 20.
From time to time, it is necessary to make changes to the network by adding or reconfiguring elements making up the system, for example the routers 14. This configuration is achieved by downloading the configuration data from the control and provisioning system 20 to the router 14. The configuration data is contained in templates that are stored in a database forming part of the control and provisioning system 20. However, problems can arise due to the large number of network elements in use and their ever changing nature. If a new router (or, more likely, a revised version of an existing router) is deployed into the network and there is no configuration template that matches it exactly, the configuration can fail. Reconfiguration in such cases often requires manual intervention with the associated cost and delay.
In many cases, the reason for failure can be that certain parameters relating to a router vary without making substantial changes to functionality. For example, the name may change to indicate a new version. If the configuration template specifies the old name, it may not operate properly to configure the latest version even though it is functionally identical since the parameters on the router will not match the values in the template.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system which does not require discrete templates to be stored in the control and provisioning system for all network elements but which can create configuration statements according to data that can be retrieved from the system.